CDC Reports 0 U.S. Measles Deaths in 2026 as Pennsylvania Claims 2
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 4
CDC Reports 0 U.S. Measles Deaths in 2026 as Pennsylvania Claims 2
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 4
Summary
The CDC said Friday it has no death records showing measles as the underlying cause of any U.S. death this year, revising its weekly update while keeping an asterisk that more information could change the tally.
Lancaster County’s coroner the same day said a 6-week-old child who died last month died from measles, though the infant also had Amish microcephaly, a rare genetic disorder cited by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The dispute has become a public clash between Pennsylvania and federal officials after Gov. Josh Shapiro announced two measles deaths last week and blamed federal vaccine messaging, while Kennedy accused the state of politicizing or possibly fabricating the reports.
Nearly 600 Pennsylvania cases and almost 100 hospitalizations have put the state at the center of an outbreak that has topped 3,000 U.S. cases this year, the highest national count in 35 years.